Who should write, and what to include

If you chair a nomination committee, serve as a board secretary or advise a company on board searches, and the seat described on my Board Readiness page fits a vacancy you hold, please write. It saves us both time if your first message names the exchange the company is listed on, its main plants and markets, the committees in question and any dealings it has had with Ruoshan, our largest shareholder or our software vendors, because I check conflicts before agreeing to meet.

Other CIOs in manufacturing are welcome to compare notes on domestic substitution, dealer systems abroad or plant security; some of my most useful lessons came from such exchanges. I accept a few speaking invitations each year from manufacturing, technology-governance and director-education audiences.

There are subjects I will not discuss: Ruoshan's unpublished results, live vendor negotiations, security incidents beyond what we have disclosed, and anything about our dealers' customers. Software and security vendors should not use this page for sales approaches. I read messages in Chinese and English and answer them myself, usually within ten days.